No light shining on the mystery of the Sunshine Award

LOLITA HARPER

It was not your typical awards banquet -- thankfully. And if I had to

miss one of the last episodes of “Friends” for it, at least Dan

Marcheano made it worthwhile. You just gotta love Danny.

Allow me to set the scene: It is Thursday night and anyone who is

anyone in Newport Beach was at Marriott Newport Beach for the annual

Speak Up Newport Mayor’s Dinner. It is one of those events that

brings together the movers and the shakers of the city for a speech

from the new mayor, Tod Ridgeway, for the lowdown on how things are

going in the city.

To nobody’s big surprise, the overwhelming consensus was that

Newport rocks.

The fun part, however, came early in the evening, when Newport

Beach Chamber of Commerce President Richard Luehrs announced the

winner of the coveted Speak Up Newport Sunshine Award. The winner was

a gem to the community, someone who had given his time and resources

unselfishly to those in need -- especially in the form of care

packages to our troops fighting in Iraq.

With bated breath, the audience waited to see who this mysterious

recipient was.

“And the winner of the 2004 Speak Up Newport Sunshine Award is

(dramatic pause), Danny Marcheano,” Luehrs said.

Music played and the audience cheered excitedly -- one of the

city’s favorite restaurateurs was given a great honor. This deserved

a standing ovation. Everybody rose to their feet.

I would imagine that most people’s minds wandered to their most

recent exchange with the outspoken and charming Marcheano, laughing

softly as they retold one of his jokes in their head. Others thought

of the great food at the Arches or what fun they had at his wonderful

parties -- the most recent being Marcheano’s Super Bowl affair.

As the memories rattled off in their heads, their hands continued

to clap, until suddenly, the people began to realize that nobody was

walking toward that podium. Necks were wrenched toward the entrances

of the banquet room, half-heartedly expecting the New Jersey native

to walk through. Luehrs seemed to be looking the hardest.

And then the claps subsided and people sat back down, dazed and a

little stunned. Marcheano was a no-show.

“He was here earlier,” Luehrs said. “That is just like him to do

this to me.”

I caught up with Marcheano at the Arches on Tuesday at lunch.

Before my eyes could adjust to the darkness of the intimate

restaurant, he was there to greet me, with a big smile and a hug. He

ushered me to the back of the restaurant where he proudly held a

plaque and a certificate.

“Did you show her yet?” his friend, and my lunch partner, George

Tepich asked.

“I’m showing her now,” Marcheano replied.

In his hand was a beautiful plaque bestowing him the honor of the

Sunshine Award. His face was beaming. And his eyes scoured his

already decorated walls for a space to display his newest honor.

“And get a load of this,” he said, as he showed me a congressional

award, signed by Rep. Chris Cox, congratulating him for the Sunshine

Award.

“Yeah, I was there when you got that,” I said. “Where were you?”

“You were there?” Marcheano asked as he suppressed a chuckle.

“Yes, where were you?” I said.

He couldn’t hold it anymore. He tilted his head back and let out a

hearty laugh.

“Hey, I don’t make it somewhere, I don’t make it somewhere,” he

said, still with that mischievous smile on his face. “It’s not

something that needs to go in the freakin’ Pilot, huh?”

I tried a little harder but he was intent on giving me a hard

time.

“Why don’t you use your imagination?” he said. “Think of something

inventive and fun.”

Really, I had just assumed he needed to get back to the restaurant

to work the crowd and make sure everybody was content; you know, in

true Marcheano style. But now I am thinking, secret agent? World

domination?

Finally, he stopped at the booth with this helpful advice.

“I have an idea, why don’t you write your column as a mystery,”

Marcheano said.

Gee, thanks.

Luehrs should take solace in the fact that he is not the only

person Marcheano likes to toy with.

But like I said earlier, you gotta love Danny.

* LOLITA HARPER is the community forum editor. She also writes

columns Wednesdays and Fridays. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.